Are Hammers eyeing Angus Kinnear to replace Karen Brady?

Are Hammers eyeing Angus Kinnear to replace Karen Brady?

The Rumour Mill

In what would be a significant blow to the stability of the Everton front office, reports are emerging that West Ham United are considering a move for Everton CEO Angus Kinnear.

According to reports, the Hammers are identifying Kinnear as a potential successor to Karren Brady, who has been a mainstay at the London Stadium for 16 years but has announced she is set to move on. Kinnear, of course, is no stranger to East London, having served as West Ham's Managing Director for 3 years before his well-documented stint at Leeds United.

Kinnear only joined the Toffees in June 2025 as part of The Friedkin Group’s executive reshuffle, arriving with a reputation for navigating stadium moves and commercial growth — skills that have been applied in abundance as  Everton adjusted to life in the new Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for this inaugural season.

While there is no official word from either club, the "pull" of a return to the capital and a high-profile role at a former club is often hard to ignore. But Everton's recent Annual Report and Accounts for the 2024-25 season reveal that Kinnear is the most highly paid director at the club, raking in a cool £562,000 each year.

Whether The Friedkin Group would be willing to let their hand-picked CEO depart after less than a year in the job remains to be seen, but it’s another headache they could do without as it would break up an executive team that has been carefully assembled and has delivered well in terms of stabilising the club at the top after the disastrous fiascos perpetrated by the last regime.